One step forward and two back ...

OK OK so maybe I haven't learned patience quite so well.

After doing the preliminary work last night I found a card that had been included in the sand box (hehehe now that's funny). And of course it said (in part) "rinse the sand." Wonderful. OK well then I found a second post that talks about the support under teh rocks. I had read somewhere to put PVC there so I cut up some PVC pipe to make "rings." Well that wasn't what they meant. I re-read the post they talked about building a "table" under the rock using PVC "pieces." The post had some responses and the end result is that the plastic egg crate works just as well.

So tomorrow or Sunday I will re-attack the problem and get the sand rinsed (maybe) and the egg create in place and get the rock back in. Then its off to DC for another week of enforced waiting pattern.

In the meantime I purchased a Koralia 2 power head for the reef flow and have it tucked into the corner where it will probably sit. Not pictures but some tomorrow perhaps.

The building begins

Due to circumstances beyond my control, what seemed an eternity passed before some funds worked free and I could begin working on my Reef. So first thing that has to happen is to get some rock and sand.

During my forced delay (refer to previous posts regarding having to have PATIENCE in this hobby) I visited the several Reef stores in the local area. Drooling and checking out the livestock and wares. While in one I happened to ask about base rock. Base rock is dead rock that is used to balance out the volume of rock in a tank. It is used (in my case anyway) for budgetary purposes. Being dead it doesn't cost as much as live rock and thus reduces the cash outlay for rock.

So anyway I asked where he suggested I could find some base rock. His suggestion was Marco Rocks. Marco Rocks is a company in south Florida. If you click the link you can see what they offer. Well I was ready to begin the build so I ordered the 40lb of rock and 40lb of Bahamian sand special. The same day I ordered the shipment was on the way from Big Pine Key.

And as typically happens. I had to go on a business trip before the rock arrived. So I had to wait till I got home to see what I had actually purchased. Now I don't know anything about rock but from what I had read it needed lots of nooks and crannies and such for the beneficial bacteria to come. Boy was I happy!!! Nooks and crannies galore. And holes - some of them all the way through the rock. Just wonderful!!

So after laying the rocks out to figure out a good fit. I cut some PVC from a tube to act as supports for the rocks to keep them off the glass bottom of the tank. Laid the rocks into the tank and then my impatience took over. Ok inexperience. I put the sand into the tank without rinsing it :( But I figure it will all come out in the end.

Here are some shots of what it looks like at the moment. Next comes the water and about a bit more than 40 lbs of "Live Rock" to be added.

My new Aquarium

I had been a freshwater fish enthusiast since I was in the eighth grade - say about 14 or so. I lived in Broward County Florida and in the next apartment complex over was a man who worked as the "middleman" for a pet importer. He had all sorts of exotic animals in his apartment. And a "fish farm." He gave me a small aquarium filled with live bearing fish and a huge Plecostomus. Nearly from that time forward I wasn't very far from a fish tank.

This continued until I moved back to Florida in 2004. At that time I had a 40 gallon tank and immediately set it up and put in some nice fish. Including a fresh water butterfly fish. Within a week they were all dead. Seems the water (well) here bit the big one. So I sort of lost interest and ended up selling the tank and everything I had.

So about two months ago we replaced our water softener and got "perfect water" (at least if you believe the hype). So I started to think about fish again. And one day in Petco I got lost watching the saltwater fish. Now like most people I had heard what a pain they were to set up and maintain but hey, what the heck, let me take a lok and see what I could find out. Well for me that is tantamount to a decision.

The first thing I learned was that I had to have something that isn't high in my repertoire - patience. So after deciding that this was a done deal I rushed out and got a 55 gallon tank and sat on it.

The plan at the time was to build a stand but after debating it and doing a more than honest assessment of my carpentry skills we ended up buying a metal stand for a 55 gallon tank. This is what they looked like set up.

Welcome to the Reef

Hello. This is my Reef Aquarium Diary. My intent is to post those things that I discover as I examine and re-create this fascinating biosphere in my home. Welcome. Come in and sit. Hopefully it will be worthwhile.

The purpose of this blog isn't to preach the gospel of "how to...", so to some extent I'll presume you know how a saltwater tank and Reef work. If you don't this is a link that may help fill in some blanks. I don't typically use About.com but it is a good starting place. As is Google - remember the geek mantra - Google is your FRIEND. You can find ALMOST ANYTHING if you google it and all around it.